Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The 'textile-free'
sauna world
is an adult-only wonderland, with a hay-barn sauna, steam
dome and canyon sauna with the occasional thunderstorm. To cool off, there's an ice
grotto and a rain temple where you can choose between mist, tropical rain and a raging
waterfall - it's quite a Niagara, so stand back. For full-on pampering, there are treatments
from energising Ötztal stone massage to fango (volcanic mud) wraps.
Area 47
( 05266-876 76;
www.area47.at
; Ötztaler Achstrasse 1, Ötztal Bahnhof; water park adult/child/family €18/10/48;
10am-7pm May-Sep; )
Billing itself as the ultimate outdoor playground, this huge sports
and adventure park is the Ötztal's flagship attraction, dramatically set at the foot of the
Alps and on the edge of a foaming river. The place heaves with families and flirty teen-
agers in summer.
Besides a water park with a natural lake and some pretty hairy diving boards and wa-
terslides, there is a thrilling flying fox (€23), climbing walls (€8) and an adventure centre
offering canyoning (€78) and rafting (€49 to €105). Events from party nights to concerts
are held in summer and there's a tepee village for overnight stays (€22 per person). A
free shuttle bus runs here from Ötztal Bahnhof.
ADVENTURE SPORTS
Sölden
(
www.soelden.com
; 6-day pass €246)
Sölden is a snow-sure ski resort with a high-speed lift net-
work and fun-loving après-ski scene. The resort's 144km of slopes particularly appeal to
confident intermediates and are complemented by glacier skiing at Rettenbach and
Tiefenbach. For many, the highlight is the panoramic 50km
Big 3 Rally
, a four-hour down-
hill marathon which begins at Giggijoch gondola and takes in three 3000m peaks.
SKIING
SKIING
Obergurgl & Hochgurgl
(
www.obergurgl.com
;
day ski pass €47; )
Around 14km south of Sölden is family-friendly Ober-
gurgl (1930m), Austria's highest parish, with skiing largely aimed at beginners and inter-
mediates. Obergurgl is actually at the head of the valley, but the road doubles back on it-
self and rises to Hochgurgl (2150m), where the pistes are steeper and the views equally
impressive.
Rocky Nature
ROCK CLIMBING
